1520 



RHODODENDRON 



RHODODENDRON 



dendrons and many deciduous shrubs, among which are 

 the Azaleas, their near relatives. A background of darls 

 green lifi-rs s.-.uis nl.i^t ai.|iv"|'riate. Mountain Laur- 

 els. I'fris fl.'ninnni,:. /.. „r.'t I,,', < ;, I., sl,„ , -.a, d Daphne 

 Chlenriiii, an- prM|iri' r,iiii|ialiioiis, l.ut at limes these 

 seeni lii-tt.T apart. < lur native lili.-s. L. sii pi rblim and 

 L. Ciiiiiiil<'iisf, are kmuiI associates and thrive under 

 the same conditions. 



In liot, dry weather water should be given, not daily 

 in driblets, 'as lawns are sprinkled, but in quantity, 

 enough at one time to soak the border to the depth of 

 the soil, but at comparatively infrequent intervals, once 

 a week or so. The bed should also be mulched with 

 leaves, or other material, to prevent evaporation; grass 

 clippings are serviceable, but should not be used in 

 large quantities at any one time or else they will heat. 

 Leaves make good winter protection, which should be 

 given just before cold weather, —here, in eastern Massa- 

 chusetts, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let the 

 bed be covered to the depth of 10-12 in., well worked in 

 beneath the foliage but not over it. In spring dig as 



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wh p nk edge Edw 

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 laph San 



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much as possible of this material into the ground, re- 

 serving a part for the summer mulch. Shelter the tops 

 with evergreen boughs, the butts driven into the earth a 

 foot or more deep; in very windy positions a temporary 

 board fence is useful. Neither boughs nor fence should 

 be removed until all danger from high winds has passed. 



Rhododendrons require no pruning unless injured or 

 when ill-grown plants must be made shapely ; they 

 break easily when cut back, even if the wood be aged. 

 As yet no insect pest or fungous disease of importance 

 has appeared. 



Varieties.— The following Hardy Rhododendrons, hy- 

 brids of B. Catawbiense, were sent to the Arnold Arbor- 

 etum in 1891 by Mr. Anthony Waterer, Knap Hill Nur- 

 sery, Woking, Surrey, England. Their hardiness has 

 been proved by a ten years' test. In flower, foliage and 

 growth they leave nothing to be desired: it is impos- 

 sible to give them too great praise. For additional lists, 

 see Garden and Forest as quoted above and in other 

 articles in the same journal. The brief descriptions are 

 taken from Mr. Waterer's catalogue, from which further 

 details can be obtained; almost all these varieties origi- 

 nated in his establishment. 



Album elegans, blush changing to white, one of the best; 

 Album grandiflorum, blush, fine truss; Alex. Dancer, bright 

 rose ; Atrosanguineum'y intense blood-red ; Bicolor; Bluebell, 

 blash : Caractacus, purple - crimson ; Catawbiense album, 



E S F d 



B M Watson 

 Rhododendro s near Bo ton In he c n y of 

 Bos on the e e many no ab e n an es of he sue 

 e fu use of Rhodo n n g ea er or less 



quantity. The estate of the late Francis B. Hayes, of 

 Lexington, Mass., and that of 

 H. H. Hunnewell, at Wellesley, 

 Mass., are perhaps as notable 

 examples as any, although other 

 examples could be cited by the 

 score of fine estates in which 

 p 1 a n t i n g s of Rhododendrons 

 have been prominent features. 

 The success that has attended 

 these plantings has been 

 brought about very largely 

 through most expensive experi- 

 ment whereby a great number 

 of named varieties have been 

 originally imported on the basis 

 of experiment with a view to 

 proving what the liar.lv kinds 

 might I.e. 'I'lie lixl.ri.ls ,,f Jfho- 

 dodendynn r.ila ,rl„. „.-:,■ and iS. 

 Ponticnm are the prineipal va- 

 rieties that have been planted, 

 and extensive trials with their 

 consequent numerous failures 

 have established the fact that 

 the following eighteen varieties 

 can well be stated to be the 

 hardy varieties for the climatic 

 conditions peculiar lo this vi- 

 cinity: Album elegans. Album 

 grandifloruni, Atrosanguineum, 

 Caractacus, Charles Bag ley, 

 Charles Dickens, Delicatis- 

 3. simura, Everestianum, Gigan- 



teum, Hannibal, H. H. Hunne- 

 well, James Bateman, Lady 

 Armstrong, Lee's Purple, Old Port, Purpureum, Pur- 

 pureum grandiflorum, Roseum elegans. 



The list noted above constitutes the iron-clad varie- 

 ties for the vicinity of Boston. The expression "iron- 

 clad" does not, however, indicate that these varieties 

 can be promiscuously planted without proper attention 

 to their requirements. That Rhododendrons do suc- 

 ceed under conditions of comparatively poor soil and 

 exposure is not an indication that they are happy under 

 such conditions. Rhododendrons must have the proper 

 conditions of soil, exposure and moisture in order to 

 give the most satisfactory returns in growth and flower. 

 Soil conditions do not necessarily involve an extended 

 outlay in preparation, provided the original soil is of a 

 good, ordinary composition such as would maintain 

 common garden products to good advantage, but it is 

 desirable to add 25 per cent of well-rotted leaf-mold, 

 thus providing that peculiar humus that the Rhododen- 

 dron seems best to thrive in. On the other hand, care 

 must be taken that this percentage is not largely in- 

 creased, as frequent instances arise where beds have 

 been prepared with too large a percentage of leaf-mold, 

 with the result that where the beds have once dried out 

 the texture of the soil becomes like that of a very dry 

 sponge. When the soil is in such condition it is impos- 

 sible to wet it down artificially in a satisfactory manner. 

 The exposure need not necessarily be confined to shel- 



